If your summer holiday budget is feeling rather tight this year, the latest HostelBookers summer giveaway will be right up your street… you can grab yourself a night in the Med for just 5 cent!
To celebrate our 5th birthday, HostelBookers are offering beach hostel beds in five top locations in the Mediterranean for just 5 cent pppn. All you have to do to escape the 9 to 5 with this special deal is head here at 2pm GMT one day next week, from 1 to 5 June, when the discounted beds will be put on sale…
Here’s the lowdown on the five great beaches where you could bag a summer break next week for a fraction of the normal price:
1. Centric Point Hostel, Barcelona: Perfect for holiday-makers who crave a helping of arty chic and nightlife with their beach break, lively Barcelona has all the elements of a perfect summer getaway with friends or family.
2. Hostel Santorini, Santorini: Santorini Island is a stunning mix of traditional architecture and tiny coves – great for a relaxing holiday in the sun tasting local food and drink.
3. Purple Nest Hostel, Valencia: With it’s laid-back bars and quirky culture, Valencia is an excellent alternative for a summer break that’s about far more than just lazing on a beach.
4. Sunrock Backpackers, Corfu Island: This one’s for the fun-lovers: party island Corfu has a great atmosphere in summer time, with lively discos to dance the night away and long stretches of beach for recovery the next day.
5. Hostal De L’Alguer, Alghero: In the north of Sardinia, Alghero is a curiously unspoiled resort that rivals the French Riviera for yachts and chic bars whilst retaining the affordable prices of this lovely off-the-beaten track island.
And there’s more to the birthday celebrations than the 5 cent beds – HostelBookers are also giving away 20 ‘presents’ to customers, including a first prize of £500 in cash, an Asus 701SD Travel Laptop, a Northface Backpack and a Canon Ixus 85 Digital Camera! Head over to the competition page to enter…
2009 marks an important date for the HB HQ – our first half-decade! Have a look at what we got up to celebrating HostelBookers 5th birthday…
It’s been an amazing 5 years – we’ve gone from 800 properties and five staff to 14,000 hostels around the world and 73 people…
As part of the celebrations, we wanted to give a little something back to our customers; so we’re running a fantastic summer offer – beach hostels for 5 cent a night!
We’ll also be giving away 20 great ‘birthday presents’ to our customers – including £500 cash, an Asus 701SD Travel Laptop, a Northface Backpack and a Canon Ixus 85 Digital Camera. Runners-up will receive a rucksack filled with handy travel supplies.
Check out the hostel holiday competition page for full details.
Here at HostelBookers, the word ‘budget’ is rarely far from our minds – whether it’s about finding the lowest price on accommodation, or making the most of an experience on limited funds.
But even with the best intentions and top money-saving tips, there are still a huge number of people who won’t be able to afford that family hostel holiday this summer.
The Family Holiday Association estimate that 2 million children in the UK live with families who can’t afford a summer break – and their aim is to help as many disadvantaged families as possible (1,600 in 2009) to afford some time away by organizing grants.
Taking a summer holiday isn’t just about chasing the sun (although it might seem that way to most of the English!) – it’s also a great opportunity to recharge, take time out from the 9 to 5 routine and refresh your perspective on the world!
HostelBookers helps millions of travelers to book accommodation around the world every year, but we’ll also be sponsoring five families for a week away through the FHA.
It’s fantastic to think that we can reach out to beyond our customer base and give something back to the world of travel…
To find out more about the charity and how to get involved, visit the FHA website.
It seems ‘Gastro-Tourism’ has reached dizzying highs (or lows depending on your personal taste) – we’ve just read that Burger King have introduced a ‘Burger Pilgrimage Trip’ around the world, where you can trace and taste the origins of the humble hamburger for a hefty sum.
Now we love a greasy burger as much as the next person, but surely there are tastier holidays to be had? After all ‘gastro-tourism’ is on the rise, with foodies all over the world holidaying somewhere purely to sample the local produce, whether it’s touring vineyards in Tuscany or crossing Colombia for the perfect cup of coffee.
Getting hungry for a foodie holiday? Avoid overpriced culinary tours and wine trips where you’ll pay a premium for a watered-down and tourist-friendly version of local food – whet your appetite with our guide to the best new places to gorge yourself on a budget!
Even we don’t have the stomach to eat our way around the whole world, though, so we’ve had to miss a few tasty trips off the menu – just think of this as an appetiser!
Singapore, Malaysia
One of the reasons Asia is so popular with backpackers and budget travelers is the abundance of cheap and delicious food. In fact it’s pretty hard to narrow down just one great foodie destination when you can stuff yourself in India, Vietnam, or Thailand for next to nothing.
But in Singapore, eating out is always on the menu and food is a national pastime. If you want to broaden your palate look no further – influences are drawn from all across Asia, from Indonesian fishcakes to Kerala fish curries and Malaysian noodle broths.
There are nearly 7,000 places to eat squeezed into this tiny country, and at mealtimes you can pick up a cheap meal at a ‘hawker center’, where street traders in food halls ‘hawk’ anything from Satay chicken to shaved ice. Try Laksa a spicy coconut noodle soup, chili fried squid and fishhead curry with Roti Prata (a delicious thick and doughy pancake).
Heading to Singapore? Check out our cheap weekend guide – and find out how to walk off all the grub! – Ed.
Bologna, Italy
Italy is the holy grail of foodie destinations, and pretty much invented ‘gastro holidays’ – with a cluster of cities and regions famous for their particular produce. Each region of Italy is home to its own diverse type of cuisine, determined by the local produce – in the south Puglia produces olives and pasta, Tuscany is famous for the wine in the Chianti region, Liguria for pesto, Parma for its delicious cured ham…the list of local specialities is endless.
Our top pick is Bologna, the self-proclaimed culinary capital of Italy. There are loads of cheap hostels in Bologna, the food shops are pure theatre, with dramatic displays of cured meats, piles of cheese, mounds of cakes, and you can’t go wrong eating in the simplest trattoria. The city is called ‘La Grassa’ (the fat one) for a reason – make sure you tuck in to Tortellini pasta, Tagliatelle with ragu, Mortadella (a cured sausage) and Tigelle (a kind of panini).
San Sebastian, Spain
Spain is another foodie favourite – fresh, local produce is a way of life here, and local markets such as the Boqueria in Barcelona make the country a must for gastro-tourists.
Aside from the tacky fast food joints in the package resorts, Spain is a nation of eaters, and mealtimes are a social affair, lasting several hours. National staples Paella, Manchego cheese, Gazpacho (a cold tomato soup) and Jamon Serrano can be found across mainland Spain, but for original gourmet cuisine, head to San Sebastian, home to several Michelin Star restaurants.
San Sebastian is in the Basque country in the north, a region with its own unique cultural identity that considers itself separate from the mainland, and this is reflected in the innovative cuisine, considered by many as the best in Spain. Fish plays a major role in most dishes, and neighboring La Rioja produces excellent wine.
Whilst San Sebastian is one of Spain’s most expensive cities, stay in a San Sebastian hostel and steer clear of the pricey restaurants, and you can eat very well on a budget. The city is most famous for Pintxos, the Basque version of Tapas, and the Parte Vieja area of cobbled streets is packed with the best Pintxos bars in the world. Tour the bars and sample dishes such as marinated anchovies on toasted bread, seared foie gras, and (if you’re feeling adventurous) sea urchin.
Margaret River, South-West Australia
Australia isn’t often the first destination that springs to mind for a foodie tour, but this cultural melting pot is home to some delicious cuisine. You can join the hoards at Sydney’s ‘World’s Longest Buffet’ at Darling Harbour or munch on fish and chips in the beach at Manly, but South Western Australia is also renowned for its food and wine.
The Margaret River region, close to Perth, is a feast for your eyes as well as your belly, with beautiful scenery and acres of lush vineyards producing top-notch wine. More akin to Italy than the rest of Australia, the region produces cheese, olive oils, chocolates, beer and ciders – hit the road on a food trail and you can score some goodies for a take-home feast!
Providore is a food-lover’s paradise – a gourmet-store where everything sold in the shop is made on the farm, is totally seasonal and organic. Other places worth passing by are the Margaret River Chocolate Company, Dairy Company, and Venison Farm, where you can watch each type of food being made and scoff some free samples. Visit the Berry Farm in season (where local jams and preserves are made) and you can pick your own berries to enjoy fresh jam and scones in the garden café!
LW – If you know any other top foodie destinations, or have tried some delicious dishes on your travels, let us know!
The ‘Eternal City’ is magical and iconic, packing 3,000 years of monuments and the Vatican State within its city walls. Rome’s romance may not come cheap, but there are bargains to be had amongst Rome’s seven hills (and we’re not just talking about the hostels in Rome).
Here’s what some fellow travelers had to say about Rome on a budget…
…And here are ten more ways to live ‘La Dolce Vita’ for less…
1. Access Ancient Rome:
Forget the Forum and Colosseum which are overrun with tourists, and head out of the city center to Ostia Antica, the remarkable ruins of ancient Rome’s port city. For €6.50 you can wander through the impressive ruins of an entire town surrounded by parkland, with an amphitheatre, bath house with mosaics and many temples and villas to explore. It’s only 20 minutes to Ostia by metro from Porta San Paolo Station.
2.Museo Nazionale Romano:
You could attempt to get tickets for the Villa Borghese (where you must book beforehand and your visit is restricted with a ‘time limit’), or save your pennies and make a trip to the Museo Nazionale Romano, packed with archaeological finds and antiquities. The National Museum of Rome is now spread between two sites as its collection is so vast – the Palazzo Altemps (Piazza Sant’s Apollinare 44) charges the cheapest entry at €7.00. Housed in a sumptuous 16th -century Palace, the Altemps has an extensive collection of sculpture, and is just off the Piazza Navona for some post-gallery people-watching.
3.Musei Capitolini:
At the top of the Capitoline Hill (the religious heart of ancient Rome) this museum is a collection of impressive Palazzos, surrounded by gardens and a square designed by Michaelangelo. With a smaller, but no less impressive collection of Papal Art, this is a cheaper and far less crowded alternative to the Vatican Museums, for only €6.50.
4.Party with the (old) Glitterati:
The Trastervere is now Rome’s boho left-bank, full of peeling buildings, cool bars and bargain trattorias, but it was once home to Rome’s rich and famous. Have a nose around what were once the hottest addresses this side of the Tiber – Villa Farnesina (€5 entry), hosted legendary parties in the 1600s – the owner would toss silver platters into the Tiber after each course, and the interiors contain frescoes by Raphael, and ‘historic vandalism’ (only in Rome!). Palazzo Corsini (€4) was home to the pipe-smoking Queen Christina, and her pad is packed with a right royal collection of art.
5.Tartufo To Go:
The chicest way to scoff ice cream in Rome. The Piazza Navona is one of the most famous squares in Rome, and the young and beautiful flock to here to see and be seen. Tre Scalini is the most famous restaurant here, and its ‘Tartufo Bombe’ (a big ball of chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks inside) is legendary. It’ll cost you to nab one of the coveted tables overlooking Bernini’s fountain – it’s far cheaper to get your Tartufo to go (around €4-5) and wander around the square.
6.A Mix of the Old and the New:
The Montemartini Art Centre (Via Ostiense 106), is a unique way to take in even more ancient monuments. This former power plant has been converted into a gallery, showcasing over 400 pieces of ancient sculpture from the Capitoline Museums. But all the original features of the factory have been left intact, and the contrast of ancient art with industrial machinery is striking. Tickets are €4.50.
7.Climb the Cupola:
St Peter’s Basilica is the largest Christian church in the world, and whilst the interiors are mesmerizing, the view is even better from the top. For sweeping city views, take an elevator (€7) or climb the painful 320 stairs (€6) – spend any extra euros on a gelato as a reward! Take the stairs, and you’ll see plaques of all the famous people who have visited.
8.Lunch With a View:
Rome is famous for its hillyness – and the view from any one of the seven peaks is pretty grand. La Zodiaco (Via del Parco Mellini 88/92) is a cafe and bar perched on top of the hill, and boasting panoramic views of Rome. Spend 50c on some monoculars for a close up of the Vatican, Pantheon or rooftops in the heart of Rome, and then enjoy lunch overlooking the city – sandwiches cost around €3.
9.An Eco-friendly Aperitivo:
An Italian tradition that goes down a storm with cash-strapped travelers, bars all over Rome have an ‘aperitivo’ on certain evenings, where you get a plate of free food or nibbles with your drink. The quality and quantity of the food depends on the bar, but there are a couple that really stand out. Chic Mozzerella bar ‘Opika’ is a favourite with the fashion-crowd, and their ‘happy hour’ from 6-8pm is packed out for a reason- hungry diners love the delicious platter of cheeses, olives and bread you get for the price of a glass of wine.
For an aperitivo with a conscience, try Città dell’Altra Economia (Largo Dino Frisullo, Testaccio & Ostiense), an ethical cultural center promoting worthy causes like organic agriculture and renewable energy. A converted cattle-market, the building is completely eco-friendly and there is a ‘bio bar’ and restaurant on site serving organic and fair-trade food and drink, decorated with art made from recycled objects. Hit happy hour on Fridays from 7:30-9:30 for a €5 aperitivo.
10.Find your Inner Fellini:
Rome is one photogenic city, and has been immortalized countless times on the silver screen in the films of acclaimed directors like Federico Fellini. Despite a burst of creative filmmakers, Rome itself had a lack of cool cinemas, until veteran director Nanni Moretti set up the Nuovo Sacher (Largo Ascianghi 1), the city’s top art-house cinema. There’s a buzzing bar and bookshop, and the cinema supports independent Italian filmmakers and local talent. Catch a foreign art house flick, a VO (Original Language) movie if you’re feeling homesick, or watch a film outdoors in the summer. Tickets are €7.
Want more ideas for your next city break? For secret haunts and local tips on visiting Rome, check out local bloggers Knowing Rome and I Heart Rome? who give an insider’s guide to the city.
Our guest blogger Nikolas Tjhin is back for another inspiring city break in Asia, this time for a weekend in Singapore…
Most travelers only stop by Singapore, famous for its five-star airports and a lack of chewing gum. But it would be a shame to just pass by Singapore on a tour of South East Asia. This city, country and island is a wonderful mishmash of Asian cultures, evident in its unique slang of English, locally referred to as ‘Singlish’.
Day One
The Beach Beckons at Sentosa: Start your trip with a day out at the beach on Singapore’s little holiday resort, Sentosa Island. Make your way towards Harbourfront MRT Station, where you can take the tram towards the island from inside Vivocity (a recent addition to the host of shopping malls gracing Singapore). At Sentosa, you can enjoy a host of beach-side activities and visit the Merlion, a giant statue of Singapore’s icon, a mythical creature that’s half-lion, half-fish.
Afternoon Breeze at the Esplanade: After a day out in the sun head back inside Vivocity for a quick browse of the shops, and walk in the afternoon breeze towards the Singapore River. Check out the antique Cavenagh Bridge and the newly constructed Singapore Flyer as you make your way towards the Esplanade. If the weather permits, enjoy a walk riverside, where you’ll get grand views of the scenic Singapore skyline.
Dinner at Chinatown: Come night-time, make your way towards Chinatown, using the convenient MRT transport system. Outside you’ll see a host of street-side vendors and stalls selling all kinds of souvenirs. Shop if you must, but don’t take long – dinner awaits! ‘Chinatown Food Street’ is a section of road reserved especially for foodies. Try out the flavorful Char kway teow (fried rice noodles with chili, prawns, cockles and vegetables), or the popular Satay (grilled meat on a skewer served with peanut sauce).
Nightlife at Clarke Quay: Head towards nearby Clarke Quay, Singapore’s entertainment hotspot. For those looking for a bit of nightlife, there are various bars, pubs and clubs catering to all kinds of tastes. Those looking for a quiet evening stroll can wander by the Singapore River, and stop for a dessert break at one of the many cafés by the water.
Sleep stylishly: Singapore has a reputation as one of the priciest countries in South-East Asia, but Singapore hostels are plentiful, and like the rest of the city, cool, clean and well-run. The Hangout at Mount Emily is a modern, laid-back hostel, overlooking the scenic Mount Emily Park. The rooms are hip and high-tech and the facilities are second-to-none, with a bar and restaurant, lounge and ‘Cyber Corner’ for checking your emails.
Day Two
Local Breakfast: Join the locals and have breakfast at one of the many Kopitiams (coffee-shops) around town. They are more like food courts than coffee shops, with various stalls offering a variety of food. The standard Singaporean breakfast is toast with Kaya (egg & coconut jam), half-boiled eggs and coffee (usually mixed with sweet, sugary milk).
Bugis Street & Haji Lane: Start your day exploring the Bugis area before it gets too crowded. Bugis Junction is a comfy air-conditioned shopping mall, whilst the Bugis Street Market is a large outdoor market with throngs of stalls offering all kinds of cheap products. For trendier items, head down to nearby Haji Lane where you’ll find an array of colonial shop-houses offering eclectic local and international fashion.
East Coast Park: In the afternoon, head towards East Coast Park and cycle, roller-blade, skate or jog through. Towards the end of the Marina you can try out wake-boarding in a man-made lake constructed especially for wannabe boarders.
Dinner in Katong: Head towards nearby Katong for dinner, where you can find a selection of Singapore’s specialities. Try out the Katong Laksa, a spicy noodle soup served with succulent ham, or the famed Bak Kut Teh, a serving of meaty pork ribs in a broth of herbs and spices. These run out quickly, but fret not, there are plenty of other delicacies on offer.
A Wild Evening: Finally head towards the zoo to enjoy the Night Safari, often touted as the world’s first. The Safari is built especially for evening visits, with over 40 hectares of tropical jungle playing host to over 1,000 nocturnal animals and 100 different species.
Nikolas Tjhin is the editor of UnearthingAsia, a travel blog-zine focusing on culture, lifestyle and attractions all around Asia. When not Twittering away, he reads, writes and dreams about travel!
We wouldn’t exactly call ourselves ‘cheapskates’ here at HB, but we’re pretty obsessed with saving everyone a bit of extra cash – so we can spend every last penny on our travels! Our thrifty ways must have paid off, though, as we have just won an award for our ability to save you guys money!
WiseBread – a community of bloggers dedicated to ‘living large on a small budget’ - has just rated HostelBookers one of the top budget travel resources and the ‘easiest way to book hostels all over the world’. We’ve also been named one of the Top 40 ‘Most Useful Travel Websites For Saving A Fortune’.
But aside from all this modesty (!), the website itself is a great find for budget travelers – WiseBread is full of money-stretching tips and amusing advice on how to score freebies and discounts. Want to learn how to ‘hustle free drinks’ or work out the perfect budget for your trip? We certainly do!
Ever wish you could beat the summer crowds and find your own island paradise? A getaway only the locals know about, with not a tourist in sight?
If you can’t afford to trek halfway across the world to a deserted desert island, you’re in luck – believe it or not, Europe is home to loads of offbeat islands, tucked away from the tourist trail. Most of these undiscovered gems have remained hidden, as the rest of us clog up the shores of holiday hot-spots like Mykonos, Ibiza and Sardinia.
You don’t need to be Richard Branson to find you own island idyll, with hostels in Europe in the most secluded spots. So this summer, why not island-hop off the beaten track, and uncover some of Europe’s best kept secrets?
Faial, The Azores, Portugal
Who Go? This string of nine volcanic islands belongs to Portugal, but lies almost deserted in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. So remote they have been left untouched by tourism, the Azores are perfect for budding castaways, characterized by a dramatic landscape of deep craters, glittering lakes, and rugged bays and inlets. With excellent dolphin and whale-watching off the coast, inland you’ll find sloping hills of olive trees and traditional whitewashed villages. Stay in Faial, one of the largest islands, and explore the colourful main port Horta, where the sea wall is covered with hundreds of paintings and messages left by sailors. Stay: In Horta, the Pousada de Horta is a former 16th century fortress perched over the Marina, which once defended the peninsula from Moorish pirates. A National Monument since 1947, it has magnificent views of the neighbouring Pico Island.
El Hierro, the Canary Islands, Spain
Who Go? The smallest of the Canary Islands, El Hierro is a windswept island off the African Coast, far flung from the cheap and cheerful package resorts on Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Once considered the ‘end of the known world’, this island is a remote wilderness, with the coast and lush forests inland protected by UNESCO. The island is a boon for nature lovers, with acres of rugged wilderness ripe for exploration, whether hiking, cycling or paragliding. It’s also one of the best scuba-diving spots in Spain – the small main village La Restinga is home to nine Dive Centers. Stay: The Apartamentos Bahia is right on the waterfront in La Restinga, and boasts amazing sea views.
Alibey, Turkey Who Go? Also known as Cunda Island, Alibey is one of 20 islands that straddles the sea between Turkey and Greece. This location led to a population exchange in 1923, when all the island’s Greek residents left and were ‘replaced’ with Cretan Turks. The Island’s main draw is its peaceful, almost deserted ambience – since the exchange, the former Greek buildings and churches, including a Greek Orthodox Cathdral, have been left in ruins, and the main town is a tangle of fish restaurants tucked along cobbled streets and peeling boats bobbing in the bay. The rest of the island is covered in fragrant pine forests and hides a couple of glorious sandy beaches. <Stay: You can access Alibey by a causeway from the mainland town of Ayvalik – the Taksiyarhis Pension is in a converted old Greek house that dates back to the 1800s, with bike renting facilities to cycle over and explore.
Milos, Greece Why Go? Greece has the lion’s share of beautiful islands in Europe, but most have been swallowed up by tourism in recent years. Part of the Cyclades group of islands, Milos is hardly a secret – the Venus de Milo was found here and currently resides in the Louvre in Paris, but it seems to have been forgotten in favour of its flashier neighbours Mykonos and Santorini. It’s a good thing too, as Milos is a virtually unspoilt volcanic island, home to surreal rock formations, hot springs, and over 75 spotless beaches with all the beauty, but none of the crowds of the more famous Greek beaches. Stay: The Semiramis Hotel is surrounded by pretty gardens in Adamandas, a natural port and harbour of whitewashed houses overlooking the sea.
Lopud, Croatia Why Go? Croatia has over 1000 islands and islets, and as only 66 are inhabited, it’s easy to find a ’secet’ getaway here. If you’re after nudist beaches, action-packed watersports and wild parties, stick to the larger islands like Bol and Hvar. The cluster of Elafiti islands are some of the quietest in Croatia, and most are uninhabited. With beaches of fine white sand backed by lush green hills, plenty of boat trips make the journey to Lopud, but few bother to stay, meaning the island remains quiet and undeveloped away from the main harbour. Rural, tranquil and traffic free, Lopud was once an important seafaring port, and you’ll find Greek, Roman and old Slavic buildings and ruins amidst the flowering hills today. Life here moves at a slow pace – explore the network of paths that cover the island, and head for Šunj, the island’s best beach. Stay: Lopud is 50 minutes by boat from Dubrovnik, but for authentic solitude, stay on the island itself. Pansion Pavlovic is a quaint guesthouse with its own library, and a restaurant serving fresh grilled fish.
The throbbing heart of Catalunya, Barcelona has always been a super-cool city, with legendary nightlife to match. But what will $10 (€8) get you in the home of Gaudi? Answer: some far more interesting sights than your average tourist trail!
Check out these tips from fellow backpackers, and then follow our pick of things to do…
1. Entrance to the Miro Museum (€8)
Most people head straight to the Picasso Museum, which is excellent, but always overcrowded, with lines forming hours before it opens. Abstract artist Joan Miro was fiercely Catalan, and in 1975 he founded his own museum in his home town. The Fundació Joan Miró holds more than 11,000 examples of his work – a surreal collection of bright paintings, colourful sketches and sculptures.
2. The Other Cathedral (€5)
The architect Antonio Gaudi has definately left his mark on the city, and his unique and highly individual designs can be spotted all over Barcelona. Tourists flock to his unfinished masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia. It’s pretty expensive to go inside the temple, so why not check out Barcelona’s real Cathedral for less? In the heart of the atmopsheric Gothic Quarter, Barcelona Cathedral dates from 1298, and the cavernous cloisters inside are breathtaking. Despite the imposing Gothic facade, the cathedral is actually a fascinating blend of architectural styles, each dedicated to a period in Spain’s religious history.
3. The Beach
With all that art and architecture, it’s easy to forget that Barcelona has a great beach. It’s free to wander along the front, but why not make a day of it at the Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta (Plaça del Mar)? This pool/health club is right on the beach, and for about €8 you get access to the indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center and a private sun deck. For an extra €5 you can access the spa room with salt water pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam rooms…
4.Ping Pong
Barcelona is blessed with good weather for most of the year, and the city is filled with parks and open spaces for enjoying the great outdoors. A recent trend is to play a game of ping-pong in the afternoon, and there are ping pong tables dotted around the city center. Buy a ping-pong set (around €3-5 for 2 rackets and a ball) from one of the supermarkets and join the locals in Calle Floristes de la Rambla, a pretty shaded square behind La Boqueria market!
5.Tapas and Vermouth If you want to eat well on a budget, the ‘Menu del Dia’ is always a safe bet at most Barcelona restaurants, where you can often get several courses and some wine for around €8-10.
But for truly Catalan fare, get yourself to a Tapas Bar. To really impress the bartender, order Vermouth, a sweet fortified wine popular with the locals. Avoid the tourist traps in the city center and head to The Electricitat (Calle Sant Carles, 15) in La Barceloneta, an old fishing neighborhood. This noisy bar has bags of character, with dark wooden tables, wine barrels lining the walls, and old waiters joking with the customers. You can get a plate of tapas and some Vermouth for € 7.00.
6.Unusual Museums
Most of the main sights in Barcelona charge a hefty entrance fee, and that’s before you’ve added all the extras like audio guides and souvenirs. Far cheaper are the quirkier museums that most people never knew existed in Barcelona. For €5 you could visit the Perfume Museum (Passeig de Gràcia, 39) or the Museu del Calçat (Museum of Shoes, Pl. Sant Felip Neri, Barri Gòtic). If you run out of cash, check out the ghoulish Museum of Funeral Hearses (Carrer Sancho d’Avila, 2, Poble Nou) for free!
7.Boqueria Market
Located just off the Ramblas, this market is arguably one of the most beautiful in the world, its endless array of colourful stalls a feast for the senses. This foodie paradise has been a local favourite since medieval times, and is also one cheapest places to eat in the city.
You might not be able to take the fresh fish home, but you can sample the home made pizza and freshly squeezed juices on the spot, or head to the mini tapas bars for a quick snack. From typical fruit stalls to vendors selling edible bugs, you could buy a feast for that €8 – stock up on local delicacies Jamon Iberico and Manchego cheese.
8. A Chocolate Feast (€4.50)
We realise alot of our tips are food related, but we aren’t just being piggish – there are so many good things to eat in Barcelona it would be a shame to miss out! Start off at the Museu de la Xocolata, or Museum of Chocolate (Comerç, 36, 08003). Highlights include a recreation of Gaudi’s Parc Guell dragon, crafted entirely out of chocolate.
Afterwards treat yourself to a typically Catalan sweet treat – hot chocolate with churros (light doughnuts dusted with sugar). Hot chocolate in Barcelona is incredibly dark, thick and bittersweet – you’ll need to eat it with a spoon. Try Cacao Sampaka (292 Consell de Cent) or Escriba (La Rambla 83, 08002) – a cup will cost around €3.
9. A Cable Car up Montjuiic Mountain
For stunning city views, swallow your fear of heights and take a cable car ride to the top of Montjuiic Mountain. Suspended across two 400m high towers, it’s one hell of a ride. Take the newly renovated Telefèric de Montjuïc, starting at Castell, and a one-way ticket will cost you €6, a round-trip €8.
10.An Alternative Night Out
Nights out in Barcelona are typically wild, with most clubs really kicking off around 2am. But with top clubs come crazy cover charges – some are around €15 just to get in! For cheaper evenings out, stick to live music venues – The Big Bang Bar (Botella street 7, El Raval) is an indie dive bar that puts on live gigs for €3. Or try Jazz Sí, (Calle Requesens, 2, El Raval) a great venue that’s always crowded. Entrance is €5, and there’s something on every night, from jazz to flameco.
If you’d rather stick to a bar crawl, try Casa Almirall (Carrer de Joaquín Costa 33, El Raval) where an Absinthe is €4.50, or Shango Bar in the Gothic Quarter (Carrer d’En Groch 2). Beers are €2.50, there’s a cocktail happy hour from 9-11pm, and salsa lessons from 11-12pm!
Got any more cheap tricks for Barcelona that we’ve forgotten about? Let us know!
After a scholarly cheap weekend in Oxford, we thought it was only fair to pay a trip to Cambridge, England’s other great academic city. They may be bitter rivals in the boat race, but they share the work hard, play hard mentality, and there’s plenty of extra-curricular activities to be found amongst Cambridge’s cobbled streets…
Day One
Fuel Up: Cambridge is a very compact city, but the train station is a little out of the way. If you’ve arrived by train, walk to the centre of town towards the coach and bus station. If you came by bus, simply hop off and head straight to Sevinos, an Italian cafe just down the road from Emmanuel College.
One of the most studious colleges, ‘Emma’ students have been known to queue around the block for the freshly baked, warm chocolate croissants during exam term. Get an espresso and croissant to go, and wander around the college if it’s open to visitors. Founded in 1584, the college chapel was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and the grounds are extensive, with a huge parkland and a duck pond.
A Morning in College: Whilst Oxford’s colleges are quite spread out and similar in style, Cambridge’s most famous colleges are a jumble of diverse architecture, and form a line through the city centre, which makes a tour quick and relatively painless!
Start off at Queens, Stephen Fry’s alma mater. The college straddles the river Cam and is divided by a bridge, with unsightly modern blocks on one side, and the charming tudor Old Court on the other, erected in 1448. Head onto Trumpington Street and King’s Parade, for the main drag of colleges. Kings College dominates King’s Parade with its vast chapel and neo-gothic gatehouse. Founded in 1441 by King Henry VI, the BBC film a carol service at Kings every year, with the chapel lit up by an eerie blue light display. King’s students have a reputation for being the most politically minded and ‘edgy’ in the city, and you might spot a few posing by the college common room.
The neighboring Senate House is the grand setting for each college’s graduation ceremonies , and student’s exam results are posted outside the main door. Clare College (1326) is next door to Kings, and is renowned for its glorious gardens, which spread out onto the grassy ‘Backs’. Next up is Gonville and Cauis, (1348), which boasts 12 Nobel Prize Winners to its name, including the inventor of Penicillin and the discoverer of DNA. Cauis may have brains, but its also has beauty – with dark Gothic buildings to the ‘Gate of Honour’, which leads to Senate House and is only used for special occasions. Save some energy for two of the most well-known colleges – Trinity and St Johns. Both colleges host legendary summer balls – described as two of the ‘best parties in the world’ by Time magazine, and each try to outdo one another in throwing the wildest bash. Trinity was founded by King Henry VIII, and is the largest and wealthiest richest college in the University. The grounds are extensive – top sights include the Great Court with its fountains, and the Wren Library, which contains some of Shakespeare’s Folios. The Library cloisters look out onto the river and the Backs. St Johns (1511) is equally grand, and probably the most impressive to a first time visitor. The college has several pretty Tudor courts, countless gothic towers, and the Neo-Gothic ‘Bridge of Sighs’, one of the most photographed buildings in Cambridge. Walk out to St John’s Backs, and join the students lolling about on the lawns.
Lunch in a Quirky Cafe: By now you’ll be starving, but Cambridge is full of quirky independent cafes, perfect for a cheap lunch. Hidden down a passageway opposite King’s, Indigo is a funky but tiny cafe, with about 3 tables and some old sofas crammed up rickety wooden stairs. If you can find a seat, nestle down next to hungry students and tuck into the delicious bagels for lunch. If you need more leg-room, check out Auntie’s Tea Shop in Market Square, a kitsch old-fashioned tea room complete with doily tablecloths and waitresses in frilly aprons. The homemade quiches, ploughman’s lunch or fruit scones are always good. Cake with a Cat: Head Back to Mill Road, where you can take your pick of international cuisine, from Turkish Cafes with Shisha Pipes to Korean Noodle Bars. Walk over the bridge to the ‘wrong’ end of Mill Road, a formerly run down area that is slowly being revamped. Lunch at the Black Cat Cafe (2, The Broadway, CB1)an excellent independent cafe with its own blend of coffee ground freshly on the premises. Everything, from the smoothies to the ketchup is made from scratch, and paninis are made from huge hunks of bread. The cakes change daily and are the best in Cambridge – the squished croissant cake and dark peppermint fudge cake will leave you speechless!
An Educational Afternoon: If you can stomach any more learning, walk down Trumpington Street to the Fiztwilliam Museum, a vast world-class selection of art and antiquities that’s completely free. The grand neo-classical building itself is worth a look. Just down the road is Peterhouse (1284), the smallest and oldest college in the university.
An Evening of Evensong: If you get the chance, catch Evensong at King’s Chapel, which takes place at 5:30pm every day (3:30pm on Sundays). It’s a chance to see the world-famous College Choir perform in a most atmopsheric and setting – queues can form early as it’s a free and truly haunting experience.
Clown Around for a Cheap Dinner: Not a good plan if you’re Coulrophobic (afraid of clowns), this Italian Deli has been a student staple for years. The cosy cafe is covered from wall to wall with pictures of Clowns, many drawn by children from a local school. It sounds odd, but Clowns (54 King Street, CB1 1LN) has bags of character and the food is superb value. Run by a friendly family of Italians who will call you ‘darling’ and sit with punters when tucking into their own dinner, the food is all home-cooked classic Italian Fare in huge portions- from Spinach Lasagne to to-die-for Tiramisu. Main meals start at about £2.50. The Amaretto Hot Chocolate and Vegetarian Pasta come highly recommended!
Let your Hair Down: Apart from student nights, Cambridge is a small city with only a handful couple of clubs, and weekend nights out in local haunts Ballare and Vodka Revolution should be avoided. But there are still a few cool places to let your hair down.
The city has heaps of small venues that put on some good nights – there’s dive club Kambar for live music, but Fez and the glossier Soul Tree are your best bets for dance music. Fez is small and gets a little sweaty, but draws the coolest DJs. Start off your evening in one of the lively bars in the city center.
Ta Bouche does great value cocktails and lots of 2 for 1 deals, and is right next door to Fez so you can keep your eye on the club queue. For post-club munchies, head to local institution ‘Gardies’, a greek chip shop down Rose Crescent for chips in pitta or top-class kebabs . Avoid the two vans in Market Square – called the ‘Van of Life’ and ‘Van of Death’ by students, it’s not worth trying to guess which is which!
Bed Down: Most of Cambridge’s hostels and hotels are out by the station, but the YHA Cambridge is just off Mill Road, one of the coolest and most interesting streets in Cambridge and only a short walk from town. This old Victorian house is fully modern inside, with a huge lounge, comfortable beds and its own bar, perfect for a cheap pint before you head out on the town.
Day Two
Rise and Shop: After an educational first day, it’s time for a more leisurely introduction to Cambridge. The YHA has a free breakfast, which will leave you with more money for a shopping spree! There are plenty of shops in the city center, and Market Square has lots of stalls selling the usual tourist tat. For truly original shopping, spend a morning exploring the Second-Hand shops and ethnic food stores along Mill Road, an artistic and multi-cultural area that feels a world away from the quaint city center. Walk along to Burleigh Street for an endless road of Charity Shops, and ignore the souless Grafton Shopping Center.
Punt to Grantchester: Punting is just as popular in Cambridge as in Oxford, but the River Cam’s route is arguably prettier, as the river runs past the backs of the most famous colleges. Whilst it’s great fun to punt past Kings and sail under the Bridge of sighs, rent a punt from Scudamores on Mill Lane, and you can punt through the Cambridge countryside to Grantchester. This pretty village has long been an escape for stressed out students, and is filled with cosy pubs and huge houses.
On the way, grab a picnic – a bottle of Cava from Sainsbury’s and a couple of Chelsea Buns from Fitzbillies, Cambridge’s most famous patisserie- the buns and cakes are famous for fuelling the boat team to victory. When you reach Grantchester, take afternoon tea in the Orchard Tea Garden, with deckchairs set in a fruit orchard, or head to The Rupert Brooke pub (named after the famous poet) for a pint before punting home.
An Evening by the River: The ‘Quayside Area’ by Magdelene College is full of lovely restaurants for dinner by the river – try Teri Aki for fresh Japenese food. If you fancy something cheaper, head up the hill to The Castle Pub, where a meaty homemade ‘Castle Burger’ topped with blue cheese and pineapple with set you back about £4. Spend the rest of your night in a historic pubs, the watering holes for professors and pupils alike for centuries. Top pubs include The Pickeral (dark and cosy) The Eagle (where Crick and Watson toasted the discovery of DNA) and The Maypole (which stays open late).
Our very LS has penned this week’s weekend city break guide – she was a student at Cambridge for three years, and spent most of her time ‘researching’ fun things to do and avoiding the library…
1. Centric Point Hostel, Barcelona: Perfect for holiday-makers who crave a helping of arty chic and nightlife with their beach break, lively Barcelona has all the elements of a perfect summer getaway with friends or family.
5. Hostal De L’Alguer, Alghero: In the north of Sardinia, Alghero is a curiously unspoiled resort that rivals the French Riviera for yachts and chic bars whilst retaining the affordable prices of this lovely off-the-beaten track island.
